Jiti Tea Garden: 32 rescued after floodwaters breach embankment

Jalpaiguri: A major disaster was averted in Jiti Tea Garden of Nagrakata block after floodwaters breached the Bhutan border embankment and inundated workers’ quarters, leaving dozens trapped. Acting swiftly and at great personal risk, officials of the administration and tea garden authorities jointly rescued 32 stranded workers late Monday night.

According to administrative sources, continuous heavy rain caused mountain streams to swell and accumulate along the Bhutan side of the newly-built boundary wall. Around 100 feet of the wall collapsed, allowing water to gush into Line No. 8 of the tea garden on Monday evening. Without delay, Mal Sub-Divisional Officer Shubham Kundal, Nagrakata BDO Pankaj Konar, IC of Nagrakata Police Station Kaushik Karmakar, Panchayat Samiti President Sanjay Kujur, Zilla Parishad member Praveen Singh Jha, tea garden manager Parbendra Singh Bhoy and labour officer Partha Bhadhuri reached the spot.

Braving the surging current, they evacuated all 32 workers—men and women—and shifted them to the tea garden hospital, where food and shelter were arranged overnight.

On Tuesday, the damage to the boundary wall was clearly visible, with Bhutanese officials also visiting the site. An ICDS centre nearby suffered partial damage from the strong current. Survivors expressed deep gratitude.

Flood-affected worker Raju Goyala said: “The administration saved our lives. Otherwise, we would have been swept away by the strong current. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts.”

Recounting the tense rescue, Nagrakata BDO Pankaj Konar said: “The rain-swollen streams broke nearly 100 feet of the wall. At that moment, we didn’t think about ourselves—our only concern was saving those 32 people. Fortunately, we managed to rescue them all and provide immediate shelter.”

The swift and coordinated effort of the administration and tea garden authorities has drawn widespread praise from across the region.